ABSTRACT
The implementation of equal opportunities is a challenge for the staff of an anaesthesia department. At the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at Hannover Medical School, a local Gender Equality plan has been implemented to create a secure and transparent framework for reconciling scientific and clinical careers with family responsibilities. Today, family and career should be equally compatible for men and women. Unfortunately, in medical professions it is often still an either/or decision. At the same time, it is important to offer an attractive workplace in view of the increasing shortage of qualified staff. In order to provide equal opportunities for all employees and to increase satisfaction, it is necessary for employers to address the issues of equality and work-life balance, to identify challenges and to create structures for improvement.